Gas turbine engines, such as those which power aircraft and industrial equipment, may employ a compressor to compress air that is drawn into the engine and a turbine to capture energy associated with the combustion of a fuel-air mixture. In many engines, a combustor produces gases that are non-uniform in terms of a temperature and/or pressure profile along one or more reference directions. As a result of such non-uniformity, a first component (e.g., a first turbine vane) axially downstream of the combustor may experience different environmental conditions relative to a second component (e.g., a second turbine vane). For example, the first component may be subjected to elevated/increased temperatures relative to the second component (even if the first and second components are located at a common axial station plane/stage). The first component may be subject to elevated temperatures due to, e.g., being located in axial alignment with a fuel nozzle (the second component may be offset/skewed relative to any fuel nozzles).
Exposing a component to strenuous environmental conditions (e.g., elevated temperature or pressure) may have a tendency to reduce the component's effective lifetime. Continuing the above example, if the first component is routinely/regularly subjected to elevated temperatures, a first material of the first component may be subject to increased thermal fatigue relative to a second material of the second component (even if the first and second materials are the same material). In some instances, the first component may need to be retired from service/replaced at an earlier point in time than the second component in order to ensure stable/reliable engine operation.
One technique for mitigating the impact of elevated temperature on a component is to cool the component via application of a cooling fluid. However, the cooling fluid is a resource and its use impacts the performance/efficiency of the engine.
Components that are subject to, e.g., strenuous environmental conditions may be identified. Continuing the above example, simulation and/or testing may be performed to identify the first and second components for a particular engine platform/design. What is needed is an ability to enhance the operational lifetime of the components/engine on the basis of that identification. Furthermore, what is needed is an ability to obtain such an enhancement without simply increasing an amount/volume of cooling fluid that is used.